Reviews with content warning for Grief - I Killed Zoe Spanos

I think this is like 3.5 or 3.75 stars rounded up to a 4 but I really enjoyed this much more than what I would consider to be a 3-star book. I really liked the premise of the book and I feel it mostly stuck to it and delivered on what it promised even if I'm somewhat torn with the ending.

The story kept me engaged throughout and there was never really a moment where I felt bored, I think a lot of that came down to the dual timelines/perspectives as well as one of those perspectives in Anna being an unreliable narrator as we are unsure in what she is saying is accurate whilst also learning that she has confessed to the murders. It really kept me engaged as well as wanting to learn how and why Anna knew the things that she did about Zoe, a girl she had supposedly never met yet not only looked nearly identical to her but also had a connection to her. The reason as to how and why both Anna and Zoe were connected and looked similar was something that I guessed a little after halfway through the book and then only became more certain of near the end of the book but that doesn't make the plot twist of them being half-sisters any less impactful or good as it felt like something that you needed to focus on the background details (e.g Mr and Mrs Spanos having a history of taking breaks, Anna's father not being in the picture etc) for if you wanted to guess it as it took a lesser focus in comparison to finding out what happened to Zoe.

I experienced this book through audiobook on Audible so I liked the fact that there was a cast of characters even if none really stood out besides Martina and Anna aka the two leads/lead perspectives of the book and to a certain extent Zoe too but sadly it was missing a developed background and supporting cast of characters to act as the Heron Mills community which meant that it was less impactful when they were placed under suspicion for being involved in Zoe's disappearance but I do think that Anna, in particular, sort of makes up for this. Anna being a sort of unreliable narrator means that everything she says happens unless corroborated by others must be taken with a pinch of salt and near the end of the book it really does do a good job of potentially making it be Anna as the killer of Zoe Spanos reinforced by her shady past with her friends before taking this summer nanny job. I found the unexplained fate of her friend Star to be a good representation of how a lot of missing cases, unlike the main case in this book, aren't ever really closed due to it never being discovered what happened to the missing person and how that can affect people.

The reveal at the end was somewhat of a mixed bag though, I do contribute my feelings towards it to being slightly hindered by confusion as I was doing something else at the time that was the focus and at the forefront of my mind so that may have been why I didn't see it coming that Aster was Zoe's unintended killer. I don't mind the reveal and I'm not opposed to the fact that it was accidental but even if in hindsight some of Aster's reluctance to support the podcast that Martina was making was evidence that she may have done it, the reveal did feel somewhat anti-climactic and the events leading up to what caused it all to happen felt somewhat rushed. However, I do really appreciate the penultimate chapter of the book being dedicated to explaining the timeline of events and making them more coherent.

Overall, I really enjoyed this even if the main reveal was slightly disappointing and the cast of characters besides from the main ones were just... there, I still enjoyed my time with the book particularly with the unreliable narrator aspect as well as the dual perspectives and timelines which helped develop the unreliable narrator aspect of the book and vice versa.

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thewoodlandbookshelf's review

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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jjames_mal's review

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This YA Thriller follows Anna, a heavy-drinking and party-having young adult, who decides to make a change in her life and take on a nannying job in the Hamptons for the summer. There's only one problem, everyone can't stop comparing her looks to another local girl who's recently disappeared. Which seems only creepy at most in the beginning, until Anna starts to find connections between herself and the girl that become harder to dismiss.

I was not expecting to get as engrossed in this book as I did, whenever I picked it up I wanted to read just one more chapter every time. One element that really works in the book is the chapters which alternate between Anna's summer in the Hamptons and the present day, which is a few months later. However, (and I think a lot of YA thrillers have this) the twists got too twisty. Listen. I know it can make the story more exciting, the pace quicker, but I reached the ending with an "eh, if you say so" which was a bit disappointing to say the least since this book had me feeling like a five star if it could have pulled a good story arc off. But I still felt like I was left with a read that was really engaging. 3.5 stars for having a good time reading.

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lunagirl_alice's review

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

i really loved this book, if anyone loved a good girls guide to murder i recommend this, it’s not exactly the same but similar vibes. I thought i knew all the plot twists and to be fair i think i’d figured out most of them but the final one right at the end i was not prepared for and i didn’t actually expect.

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clairophy's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What a wild ride of a book! This was one of the more confusing thrillers I’ve read but in a fun way? I found that the confusing aspects are what made me so hooked. From the first chapter I was so intrigued as to how it could work out to where a certain character DIDN’T kill the victim.
I was consistently trying to read characters and figure out where the truth lies and the author didn’t make it easy but that’s what made it such a good read! And the switching times and inclusion of a podcast transcript helped set the tone and hook me!
An amazing read.

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alicelt's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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chipwich's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

*starts incoherently screeching*

THIS. THIS WAS EVERYTHING WE WERE LIARS WANTED TO BE. "I Killed Zoe Spanos" is now probably my new all time favorite book. no, i am not lying, yes, this was INSANE.

this book follows our main character anna, who's new in the hamptons nannying for a fucking loaded family. she literally stays in their GUEST BEACH HOUSE, and sketches next to the INFINITY POOL at night. she comes from brooklyn, and is trying to recover from years of alcohol abuse and pretty toxic relationships. anna thinks that if she just ignores that her life in brooklyn was a thing, it just wouldn't exist anymore. the writing does such a good job of portraying anna's unreliable narration very early on with her odd decision making and clear confusion of who she actually is.

once she spends more time at this rich town, she realizes something is off. she keeps getting odd rushes of nostalgia, and people are consistently mistaking her for the girl that had gone missing on new years, zoe spanos. THE NOSTALIGIA RUSHES? THE WRITING ON THOSE SCENES WAS IMMACULATE. ESPCIALLY THE FIRST SCENE IN THE ICE CREAM SHOPPE?? I FELT JUST AS CONFUSED AS ANNA AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!

she meets a "mysterious boy next door" soon after, which was immediately where i was scared this book was going to immediately go downhill. the best part? anna has an unrequited/kinda-sorta-maybe requited crush on caleb, BUT IT HAS ALMOST NO IMPACT ON THE PLOT. ITS JUST TO ADD TO THE WHOLE FEELING THAT ANNA IS BEING TRICKED BY THE ENTIRE TIME/NOT REMEMBERING SOMETHING SHE'S SUPPOSED TO, AND REALLY MAKE HER BREAKDOWN SCENE SO MUCH BETTER.

i don't know how to get into this book without spoilers, but be warned- the twist is CRAZY. this isn't really a whodunnit mystery, because we literally get a confession (even if spotty) to the murder by anna in the beginning chapter. the whole book is really just about why anna feels such a connection to the hamptons without have ever been there before, why she confessed, and why everybody keeps mistaking her for zoe. WHICH BY THE WAY, WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER, IT'S SO SATISFYING AND JUST MAKES SO MUCH SENSE?!? GOD IT WAS SO GOOD I NEED EVERBODY TO READ THIS BOOK I'VE BEEN TRYING TO BE SERIOUS BUT HOLY SHIT I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.

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mo345's review

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

i had such a hard time finishing this book. it reads like the first book of an author who has no idea what their writing style is. there are only two POC and LGBT+ characters, both of which feel forced and unnatural; most likely thrown in for “diversity points”. the ending was kind of a let down and was not as dramatic as the story made it seem like it would be.

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